Polishing a Blade

empty5853

empty5853

Joined
May 19, 2004
Messages
2,290
Morning All,

I have a question about how to achieve a mirror finish on a dull scratched blade.
I read the "sticky" in tips & hints and it gave a good dissertation on buffing & polishing but it just left me more confused. To much info. I guess. (or to technical for my pea brain :D )

Here's my problem. A friend got a khukuri (not from HI) and it came in dull and scratched. He tried to polish it and ended up making it worse. He asked me to try and fix it. Soooooo.......

I need the help of all of the blade experts here.

What I need is just a quick $.05 tutorial on buffing & polishing. You know.
1. start with xxxx until it looks like xxxx
2. then use xxxx until it xxxx
3. finish with xxx until it shines like a mirror
I'm sure I'm over simplifying the process but I think you get the idea. I'm not looking to become an expert just better educated and hopfully not makes matters worse. I just would like to know what works for you.

I know you all have better things to do then to spend your time trying to teach me the fundamentals of buffing and polishing but I figured that this is the best place to start.

Any advise will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

vr
Mark T.
 
Not that it's the proper method but aluminum foil and some tape might fool a few people... :D :rolleyes: ;)
 
BruiseLeee said:
Not that it's the proper method but aluminum foil and some tape might fool a few people... :D :rolleyes: ;)
Click to expand...


Thanks Bruise. I knew I could count on you to point me in the right direction :D
 
Steve,

I have a low speed motor (1725 rpm) that I can put buffing wheels on.

Mark T.
 
Keeping in mind that the buffer is the MOST dangerous tool in the shop, this is what I would do. Buy 6" or 8" muslin buffing wheels and an arbor to go on your motor. Get some green or white buffing compound. The white can be found at most hardware stores, sometimes in a kit with red rouge, and black tripoli. The green will come from industrial suppliers or knifemaking supply houses.

First use wet or dry sandpaper to get all the scratches out. Depending on the depth of the scratches, you might have to start with 320 or even 220 grit. Windex makes a fine lubricant, keeping the paper from loading up. The high alkalinity of the window cleaner slows rusting. And it smells so nice. ;) Progress up the grits, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1500, 2000. You must get the scratches out with each grit. This will take A WHILE. Oh, and don't cut yourself.

After you finish with the 2000 grit, you buff. This is extremely dangerous. Full concentration is necessary. The wheel can catch the edge or spine, and throw the khuk like a bullet. Don't buff the edge, it will round it off. Try to buff right next to it. Apply the buffing compound every 30 seconds or so. Let it do the work. Dunk the blade in a bucket of water to keep it cool. You can add some baking soda to the water to delay rusting.
Good luck and be careful,

Steve
 
WoW!!

Thanks Steve. Thats exactly what I needed.

I'll be VERY careful. Since I've had a run-in with a jointer in the past (and it won!) I tend to be overly cautious when it comes to power tools.

Thanks again. I'm sure this will do the trick.

Mark T.
 
A friend has a photograph of Bob Loveless in his shop, standing at a double wheel buffer. Bob is pointing up. A knife (drop point and hollow ground, no doubt) is stuck in an overhead beam above Bob's head. :eek: Even the masters have reason to be careful with buffers.
 
just to add to what Steve said.


I'd recommend buying a tapered spindle arbor - so you can quickly switch between wheels.

Also, I've found that I don't need to go above 600 grit before hitting the buffing wheel - if I've done a good job aligning the scratches lengthwise along the blade.

I also buff lengthwise - quicker and better looking. I keep the tip down and away from me at all times. If I have to buff "across" the blade, I move to the side and keep the tip pointed away from me.

Make sense?
 
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